Arcade Stick Recommendations?

[solidus]

So I am in the market for an arcade stick that I can use on my lap or on my coffee table while playing emulators on my living room TV. I have a PC setup that I use while sitting back on the couch, and I normally just use controllers. Do you have any suggestions for a good quality but not absurdly expensive USB arcade stick? I would use it for things like MAME and well as shmups... or pretty much any games that would work well with it.

[AtariBrian]

Just like anything in this world you can't have both good quality and cheap. 

[solidus]

2 minutes ago, AtariBrian said:

Just like anything in this world you can't have both good quality and cheap. 

Well sure, which is why I said not absurdly expensive Im fine spending money, but I dont think I need the highest quality, competition quality fightstick you know? I just want to play arcade games in my living room, non competitively. I just dont want the joystick to drift after 2 months, or have to toss the whole thing if something breaks and not be at all repairable in pieces.. if possible

[doubledown]

Unfortunately this is very subjective to personal preference and your definition of "not absurdly expensive."  The two biggest things to concern yourself with (once you've got a price in mind) will be the components used in the stick, and it's overall size and ergonomics.  That being said, there are only so many "pre-built" options on the market...so unless you look into custom building one (or having one custom built), you're limited by what is currently available.  Chances are, inexpensive sticks will feel inexpensive, and/or uncomfortable.  More expensive options can/may feel and work a lot better...but then are obviously more expensive.  Market prices probably range between $25 - $250-ish for pre-built sticks, and maybe in the range of $100 - $450 if you had something custom built.  You really need to define/determine what you're looking to spend, what sort of games you're looking to play, and what you need controls-wise (i.e. number of joysticks/buttons/trak-ball and the likes).  

[solidus]

49 minutes ago, doubledown said:

Unfortunately this is very subjective to personal preference and your definition of "not absurdly expensive."  The two biggest things to concern yourself with (once you've got a price in mind) will be the components used in the stick, and it's overall size and ergonomics.  That being said, there are only so many "pre-built" options on the market...so unless you look into custom building one (or having one custom built), you're limited by what is currently available.  Chances are, inexpensive sticks will feel inexpensive, and/or uncomfortable.  More expensive options can/may feel and work a lot better...but then are obviously more expensive.  Market prices probably range between $25 - $250-ish for pre-built sticks, and maybe in the range of $100 - $450 if you had something custom built.  You really need to define/determine what you're looking to spend, what sort of games you're looking to play, and what you need controls-wise (i.e. number of joysticks/buttons/trak-ball and the likes).  

That makes sense. Well firstly Ill play shmups, and other arcade games. I generally don't play any fighters. A 3 button may be fine, but 6 is likely ideal especially for genesis 6 button games or other arcades that used 6. Those buttons plus a good stick is really all I need. I would be fine going used as well, and I don't really want to spend over $100 if possible. Hoping that going used could help keep me in that range and still get something quality.

[doubledown]

Something under or near-ish $100 should yield you a reasonable quality joystick.  Meaning that when you press left, your character should move left...instantly, and every time...and it should last a reasonable amount of time, and handle a mild amount of abuse.  That being said, I don't have any personal recommendations as I find most purchased sticks seriously lacking in ergonomics.  The last manufacturer-made arcade stick I bought was the HORI Real Arcade Pro V Hayabusa for the Switch (also PC compatible).  While I applaud, as always, HORI's build quality of the unit, and the components feel good for what they are (modern-day Japanese stick/buttons), the controls are so low on the panel, that there is virtually no support for your palms when playing.  I don't find it comfortable for any amount of play time.  Not thread-jacking, and not self-promoting, but here's an example of one I built for the SNES:

 

 

The sloped housing is 17" wide by 11" deep, and notice how far upward I installed the joysticks/buttons.  The space from the front edge, up to the controls, offers for more than enough space for your palms to rest comfortably on, for even the longest gaming sessions.  Obviously this is a personal preference / pet-peeve, and may not be an annoyance to other users.  Just something to think about when looking at your available options.  

[spacecadet]

I know you're getting a lot of "the first thing you've gotta think about" advice, but the first thing you've gotta think about is what *type* of controls you want - western or Japanese. To be honest, your choices in really good pre-built western-style controls are a lot more limited than Japanese-style, for a variety of reasons. I'd personally probably just buy an X-Arcade Tankstick if I wanted a pre-built western-style controller.

 

For Japanese-style, you can look for something with real Sanwa or Seimitsu parts in it, like this: https://www.etokki.com/Omni-Sanwa-Edition

 

Or you can get something with a (probably Chinese) imitation, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Mayflash-F300-Arcade-Joystick-Switch/dp/B019MFPLC0

 

Or this: https://www.amazon.com/HORI-Real-Arcade-White-PlayStation-4/dp/B01M3ULCQY

 

Or one of the many others of that ilk. I'm of the opinion that Sanwa and Seimitsu are both weirdly overrated and there is nothing particularly special about their parts, so I'd probably go with something cheaper. (My AtGames Legends Ultimate uses a Sanwa knockoff joystick, and I like it.) I don't mean to put Hori in the "Chinese imitation" category since they are a Japanese company using their own home-grown parts, but I also feel like they're somewhat overrated in that their stuff is almost 100% plastic both inside and out, and their parts have their own feel and their buttons are super-short throw. But some people may like that.

 

I don't have experience with that Mayflash but if you look at Amazon or wherever, there are tons of sticks like that nowadays using these Chinese off-brand parts that are really basically exactly the same as Sanwa in terms of their construction quality. That one's got as good of reviews as any. For the price, I am sure it's fine, and it's customizable if you do ever want to "upgrade" the parts. If you did upgrade it, you'd probably still spend less than $100 total and you'd have a real Sanwa stick and buttons. (A Sanwa stick is only about $20 and the buttons about $3 each.)

Edited June 7, 2020 by spacecadet

[schuwalker]

20 hours ago, doubledown said:

Unfortunately this is very subjective to personal preference and your definition of "not absurdly expensive."  The two biggest things to concern yourself with (once you've got a price in mind) will be the components used in the stick, and it's overall size and ergonomics.  That being said, there are only so many "pre-built" options on the market...so unless you look into custom building one (or having one custom built), you're limited by what is currently available.  Chances are, inexpensive sticks will feel inexpensive, and/or uncomfortable.  More expensive options can/may feel and work a lot better...but then are obviously more expensive.  Market prices probably range between $25 - $250-ish for pre-built sticks, and maybe in the range of $100 - $450 if you had something custom built.  You really need to define/determine what you're looking to spend, what sort of games you're looking to play, and what you need controls-wise (i.e. number of joysticks/buttons/trak-ball and the likes).  

Absolutely... I'm old school and prefer leaf switch over microswitch components for the joysticks.

[Zoyous]

22 hours ago, solidus said:

That makes sense. Well firstly Ill play shmups, and other arcade games. I generally don't play any fighters. A 3 button may be fine, but 6 is likely ideal especially for genesis 6 button games or other arcades that used 6. Those buttons plus a good stick is really all I need. I would be fine going used as well, and I don't really want to spend over $100 if possible. Hoping that going used could help keep me in that range and still get something quality.

Well, you mentioned you're not interested in fighters, so this might sound a bit odd in light of that, but... you might consider the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro. It does have mostly fighting games built-in (plus 20 additional hidden games that include several Metal Slug games), but more relevant to your interests, you can connect it to a PC and simply use it as a controller if you're not interested in the built-in games. And from what I've heard the stick and buttons are pretty good quality... I've seen it recently for $110-120 new, so it can be found pretty near your price range.

[solidus]

7 hours ago, Zoyous said:

Well, you mentioned you're not interested in fighters, so this might sound a bit odd in light of that, but... you might consider the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro. It does have mostly fighting games built-in (plus 20 additional hidden games that include several Metal Slug games), but more relevant to your interests, you can connect it to a PC and simply use it as a controller if you're not interested in the built-in games. And from what I've heard the stick and buttons are pretty good quality... I've seen it recently for $110-120 new, so it can be found pretty near your price range.

I actually had no idea this existed. Very interesting. If the build is quality, you are getting games as a bonus which is really cool. On my radar now

[spacecadet]

I haven't tried the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro but I would have to guess they're trying to replicate the feel (though certainly not the look) of the original Neo Geo AES sticks, and those don't really compare well with modern home arcade sticks. But I could be wrong about the feel of the Arcade Stick Pro; I would just really want to try one out before spending $110 on one with the intent of making it my main arcade stick. Or at least find someone on the net who's compared it with an original AES stick; if they say it's similar, I wouldn't buy one unless you just really want the built-in games.

[Master Phruby]

Has anyone bought this joystick for their arcade rig? GRS Tron Arcade flight stick. It is USB and lights up.

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/GRS-Tron-Arcade-Flight-Stick/dp/B07X8DZ344/ref=pd_sbs_21_1/140-7953108-5153065?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07X8DZ344&pd_rd_r=7d763634-4d07-4ce2-9e7a-a9ebe9c941af&pd_rd_w=vT2LJ&pd_rd_wg=04a0J&pf_rd_p=e20a7044-dca9-4b2c-8da8-05b176efe6fb&pf_rd_r=D3RTWZK982E8T6JNB7BZ&psc=1&refRID=D3RTWZK982E8T6JNB7BZ

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Master Phruby

[Cynicaster]

You could probably build a decent stick for under $100. 

 

USB "zero delay" encoder - $20

Happ Competition joystick - $15

6 game buttons - $18

2 admin buttons - $4

controller box materials - $20

 

^^ those are the basics, for under $80.  Artwork would be extra.

 

Or, just look for a used X-Arcade stick, which is basically the same thing only pre-made for you. 

 

The advantage of sticks like these is you can easily replace sticks and buttons if/when they wear out, or even if you just want to try out a different brand of parts.  My secondary MAME rig uses an X-Arcade stick with upgraded joysticks (the stock ones are admittedly not very good, but the buttons are fine). 

 

Whatever you choose, I'd urge you to make sure it's something comfortable and sturdy.  Having your controller flop around on your lap or slide around the coffee table because it's too small and light is not a recipe for fun, IMO. 

 

 

 

 

[solidus]

7 hours ago, Cynicaster said:

You could probably build a decent stick for under $100. 

 

USB "zero delay" encoder - $20

Happ Competition joystick - $15

6 game buttons - $18

2 admin buttons - $4

controller box materials - $20

 

^^ those are the basics, for under $80.  Artwork would be extra.

 

Or, just look for a used X-Arcade stick, which is basically the same thing only pre-made for you. 

 

The advantage of sticks like these is you can easily replace sticks and buttons if/when they wear out, or even if you just want to try out a different brand of parts.  My secondary MAME rig uses an X-Arcade stick with upgraded joysticks (the stock ones are admittedly not very good, but the buttons are fine). 

 

Whatever you choose, I'd urge you to make sure it's something comfortable and sturdy.  Having your controller flop around on your lap or slide around the coffee table because it's too small and light is not a recipe for fun, IMO. 

 

 

 

 

You know.. I think I wanna build one Do you think this guide is decent? http://terntek.com/blog/blog/2017/08/01/how-to-build-an-arcade-stick-for-pc-or-retropie/

 

Seems like its all in all not too much of a project. I have soldering skills and other electronic tools as I have done a lot of handheld console builds and such

[doubledown]

That is a pretty good guide, I feel the box is just a little smaller than I would like, especially if I considered 2 rows of buttons. Here's the layout I made upon actually testing comfort and ergonomics, and use when applicable (when I'm not replicating a specific arcade game layout).:

 

 

Again comfort and ergonomics is personal preference.  I developed this from actual arcade layouts, info guides I found online, and actual print-out testing...and this is what works for me.  

[solidus]

11 hours ago, doubledown said:

That is a pretty good guide, I feel the box is just a little smaller than I would like, especially if I considered 2 rows of buttons. Here's the layout I made upon actually testing comfort and ergonomics, and use when applicable (when I'm not replicating a specific arcade game layout).:

 

 

Again comfort and ergonomics is personal preference.  I developed this from actual arcade layouts, info guides I found online, and actual print-out testing...and this is what works for me.  

This is really good. Seems like a lot of people prefer to have more wrist/forearm space if possible.. which makes total sense. Alot of the premade ones seem like the controls are very forward on the board, closer to the player

[doubledown]

From my experience, when playing an actual arcade game cabinet, your arms/wrists are downward and outward (from your torso) to the control panel, and depending on how tall you are, or how you are standing, you may not use the panel to rest your palms/wrists at all.  But when the controller is sitting in your lap, the angles of your forearms are outward, and parallel or slightly upward (depending on thickness of joystick), and I definitely want the palm/wrist support in this instance.  I think a lot of pre-made ones are "made small" as a cost savings, but why even the high end $200+ sticks have controls so close to the operator, I don't understand.  It's this reason that I never use the HORI stick that I got for my Switch.  

[solidus]

Lol, promised the wife I would cut down on the electronics projects this year to lower the clutter and collection.. but this may have to be an exception. @doubledown, any advice on the box? Thats really the most confusing to me. I have seen some people use jewelry/cigar boxes... but I feel like my best bet is to build one from scratch out of wood. Or even better some kind of PVC/Lexan/etc and some kind of glue

[doubledown]

All the custom ones that I've made, I've used Hammond Mfg., Aluminum sloped top, or Steel flat top, black powder-coated enclosures (depends on the size I need, and the depth required for the controls I'm using).  I really prefer the metal enclosures, but then working with metal can be tough/impossible for some...I happen to have access to a CNC mill at work to make mine.  Plus being factory powder-coated, I don't need to do any painting or other finishing to them.  My personal feeling, and again simply my thoughts, a lot of the home-made controllers I've seen look a little too home-made for my tastes.  I realize that I have an unfair advantage with access to a mill, but that's just my good fortune I guess.  Obviously buying any enclosure (of any kind), you'll will be at the mercy of what is commercially available, if you make your own (from wood or other material), you can obviously build any size you want.  One issue to consider with wood, depending on how big you make it (and thickness and species of wood), it can get heavy, potentially heavier than you would want in your lap for any long period of time.  

[solidus]

2 hours ago, doubledown said:

All the custom ones that I've made, I've used Hammond Mfg., Aluminum sloped top, or Steel flat top, black powder-coated enclosures (depends on the size I need, and the depth required for the controls I'm using).  I really prefer the metal enclosures, but then working with metal can be tough/impossible for some...I happen to have access to a CNC mill at work to make mine.  Plus being factory powder-coated, I don't need to do any painting or other finishing to them.  My personal feeling, and again simply my thoughts, a lot of the home-made controllers I've seen look a little too home-made for my tastes.  I realize that I have an unfair advantage with access to a mill, but that's just my good fortune I guess.  Obviously buying any enclosure (of any kind), you'll will be at the mercy of what is commercially available, if you make your own (from wood or other material), you can obviously build any size you want.  One issue to consider with wood, depending on how big you make it (and thickness and species of wood), it can get heavy, potentially heavier than you would want in your lap for any long period of time.  

I agree with you totally.. a lot of them do look very homemade. I do not have any CNC equipment.. but I do have a decent set of tools, drill press, band saw, etc. I have been thinking some kind of plastic like Lexan or PVC/ABS would be a good route. It will look alot cleaner than plywood I think. Seems like Hammond actually makes stuff like that as well

[doubledown]

I'm sure the plastics could work well, depending on pricing for raw materials (I'm sure wood would probably be cheaper, but who knows), and then to determine how you would be fastening the pieces together.  Obviously having a drill press can really help, the biggest problems would be hole accuracy, and cutting/drilling the holes, for the buttons and the joystick's shaft clearance hole.  Button hole sizes required, will depend on the buttons selected, they're all a little different from one brand to another HAPP, iL, Groovy Game Gear, Ultimarc, and or any of the Japanese styles.  For example old 4-piece arcade original leaf-switch push-buttons (available from ArcadeShop and others) need a hole >1.130", where as GGG Classx buttons are smaller at >1.068".  For the joystick's clearance, most of the time you're safe somewhere between 1.125" -1.500", again depends on the stick.  I would suggest getting your components, taking their actual measurements before you did any actual cutting/drilling.  Obviously if you're drilling larger clearance holes, you're limited by the size of bit you can find, in my case, I can use a 1/4" or 3/8" end mill and make any hole exactly the size I want to the 0.0001".  Just for further research for you (if you're into that sort of thing), here are a few places I buy new components from (I'm not affiliated with any, just a customer) so that you can see what's out there:

 

Mikes Arcade

Groovy Game Gear

Ultimarc

Focus Attack

Arcade Shop

Paradise Arcade Shop

Suzo Happ

Arcade Shock

...I'm sure there's a few others I'm forgetting.  It can be slightly daunting if you actually are the type of person who would do research, take time and plan it out...but assume whatever you do, after you've done it, you'll have learned a few things, and/or disliked at least one thing about it, and want to make a 2nd one that's "better" in your mind...trust me!  I don't know if you've checked out the link in my signature to my website which showcases my portfolio (not a store site, just a Google site with pics of what I've made), but it may provide some inspiration for you.  

 

If at some point you get near a finish, and want to do some CPO artwork, depending on what you're looking to end up with let me know, I do all my own...literally.  I may borrow some images from the internet, but most I digitally draw, print, laminate, apply double-sided adhesive sheeting, and trim for application (all at my house).  I currently can do up to 9" x 16.75" so if you're looking for something for a control panel overlay, I'd be happy to help.  I've provided some artwork for some others guys for their projects.  Of course if you want just a plain colored housing that's fine too...just thought I'd offer. 

[solidus]

57 minutes ago, doubledown said:

I'm sure the plastics could work well, depending on pricing for raw materials (I'm sure wood would probably be cheaper, but who knows), and then to determine how you would be fastening the pieces together.  Obviously having a drill press can really help, the biggest problems would be hole accuracy, and cutting/drilling the holes, for the buttons and the joystick's shaft clearance hole.  Button hole sizes required, will depend on the buttons selected, they're all a little different from one brand to another HAPP, iL, Groovy Game Gear, Ultimarc, and or any of the Japanese styles.  For example old 4-piece arcade original leaf-switch push-buttons (available from ArcadeShop and others) need a hole >1.130", where as GGG Classx buttons are smaller at >1.068".  For the joystick's clearance, most of the time you're safe somewhere between 1.125" -1.500", again depends on the stick.  I would suggest getting your components, taking their actual measurements before you did any actual cutting/drilling.  Obviously if you're drilling larger clearance holes, you're limited by the size of bit you can find, in my case, I can use a 1/4" or 3/8" end mill and make any hole exactly the size I want to the 0.0001".  Just for further research for you (if you're into that sort of thing), here are a few places I buy new components from (I'm not affiliated with any, just a customer) so that you can see what's out there:

 

Mikes Arcade

Groovy Game Gear

Ultimarc

Focus Attack

Arcade Shop

Paradise Arcade Shop

Suzo Happ

Arcade Shock

...I'm sure there's a few others I'm forgetting.  It can be slightly daunting if you actually are the type of person who would do research, take time and plan it out...but assume whatever you do, after you've done it, you'll have learned a few things, and/or disliked at least one thing about it, and want to make a 2nd one that's "better" in your mind...trust me!  I don't know if you've checked out the link in my signature to my website which showcases my portfolio (not a store site, just a Google site with pics of what I've made), but it may provide some inspiration for you.  

 

If at some point you get near a finish, and want to do some CPO artwork, depending on what you're looking to end up with let me know, I do all my own...literally.  I may borrow some images from the internet, but most I digitally draw, print, laminate, apply double-sided adhesive sheeting, and trim for application (all at my house).  I currently can do up to 9" x 16.75" so if you're looking for something for a control panel overlay, I'd be happy to help.  I've provided some artwork for some others guys for their projects.  Of course if you want just a plain colored housing that's fine too...just thought I'd offer. 

Thank you thank you! Really appreciate all the info. And yes Im going to check out your site and let you know if I need anything at all. Artwork would be awesome

[Cynicaster]

Looks like doubledown has some very nice and meticulously designed projects; impressive indeed. 

 

I just hope those projects don't have the effect of discouraging you because they look too difficult to build, because it's possible to go much more basic and still get a very usable and fun result. 

 

Regarding that tutorial posted earlier that uses some kind of pre-existing box, that is certainly one way of doing it, but I'd argue that building a box is so easy and inexpensive that it doesn't really make sense to base a whole project around some kind of box just because it happens to be available. 

 

I built one a few years ago for my brother where I had a hard deadline (Christmas) to get it done, so I couldn't afford to go too crazy with the details (like art work.)  I built a box and control panel out of white melamine board from Home Depot.  I covered the control panel with some clear acrylic (I think it was ~1/8" thick, also from Home Depot).   I spray painted the underside of the control panel cover black, so the end result was a shiny and smooth black surface.  I installed t-molding around the edges of the melamine to trim it out.  It was a simple design but it was clean and effective for little effort.  Wish I had a photo but I don't. 

 

There are many ways to build a box but an extremely simple way is to use a Kreg pocket hole jig.  I'm pretty sure a chimpanzee could be trained to build a box with one, and the result is sturdy as hell. 

 

Also, you'll really want a router if you don't have one, with flush trim and slot cutting bits (for t-molding, if you're using it). 

 

 

[solidus]

8 hours ago, Cynicaster said:

Looks like doubledown has some very nice and meticulously designed projects; impressive indeed. 

 

I just hope those projects don't have the effect of discouraging you because they look too difficult to build, because it's possible to go much more basic and still get a very usable and fun result. 

 

Regarding that tutorial posted earlier that uses some kind of pre-existing box, that is certainly one way of doing it, but I'd argue that building a box is so easy and inexpensive that it doesn't really make sense to base a whole project around some kind of box just because it happens to be available. 

 

I built one a few years ago for my brother where I had a hard deadline (Christmas) to get it done, so I couldn't afford to go too crazy with the details (like art work.)  I built a box and control panel out of white melamine board from Home Depot.  I covered the control panel with some clear acrylic (I think it was ~1/8" thick, also from Home Depot).   I spray painted the underside of the control panel cover black, so the end result was a shiny and smooth black surface.  I installed t-molding around the edges of the melamine to trim it out.  It was a simple design but it was clean and effective for little effort.  Wish I had a photo but I don't. 

 

There are many ways to build a box but an extremely simple way is to use a Kreg pocket hole jig.  I'm pretty sure a chimpanzee could be trained to build a box with one, and the result is sturdy as hell. 

 

Also, you'll really want a router if you don't have one, with flush trim and slot cutting bits (for t-molding, if you're using it). 

 

 

Yea I am definitely going to just build a box at this point. Seems like the way to go. Im more concerned with picking the right parts at this point.. as I have 0 experience. Will be interesting to learn though. I really want something simple to start.. mainly to play shmups honestly

[doubledown]

Do any of the games you like to play have an arcade-counterpart...could be a start of what type of controls to use...match what the arcade used.  Also keep in mind that while basically all controls can be mounted in a thin metal control panel, approximately 0.125" or thinner, some controls, like most of the Japanese stuff (Sanwa, Seimitsu), will only work on these thinner panels.  If your enclosure has a top of plastic or wood, that's 1/2" thick (or more), most of these Japanese controls won't work, unless you counter-bore (remove) material from the bottom to "create" this thinner area for them.  A lot of arcade companies did some pretty creative stuff with their control panels regarding this back in the day, as most of the cabinets back then were 3/4" plywood and the likes.  All modern candy cabinets, use thin metal panels, so components made for them, are the norm...again in the realm of the Japanese components.  Off the top of your head, is there any arcade game, or home console arcade stick, that you remember liking the feel of?  Based on that I might be able to help with recommending some parts that would be similar.  

 

Your biggest options with joysticks would be the knob...round ball top, or tapered bat top...and the switches...clicky micro-swtiches, or silent leaf-switches

 

Then with buttons your major options are the plunger...concave plunger, or convex plunger...and the switches...clicky micro-switches, quiet key-switches, or silent leaf-switches

 

In the realm of the arcades, leaf-switches (for joysticks and push-buttons) were the defacto standard until say the mid to late 80s, when micro-switches started taking over.  On an abused public accessed arcade machine, the leaf-switches can require some occasional maintenance, not so much with the micro-switches...but some people hate hearing click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, and so on.  There are "quiet" micro-switches made, but you can still hear them, and again there are cheap micro-switches, and good micro-switches.  Offering different forces required to actuate, sound levels, length of travel until actuation...but most controls don't have all of these options when purchasing...they would be upgrade parts you could purchase separately/later if you chose.  Some of the controllers I've built, I made to replicate the arcade experience of a particular game...so I used the same (when possible), or similar types of controls.  If the original had leaf-switch joystick and buttons, that's what I used, same goes for micro-switch versions.